Laura Kyrke-Smith MP welcomes over £20m in funding to fix pothole plague in Buckinghamshire

Laura Kyrke-Smith, Labour Member of Parliament for Aylesbury and the villages, has today welcomed the Government’s plans for safer roads.

This comes in the form up to £20,725,000 to boost to repair roads and fix potholes in Buckinghamshire, as part of a record national £1.6 billion investment to repair road networks in England.

The landmark investment – an increase of nearly 50% on local road maintenance funding from last year – goes well beyond the Government’s manifesto pledge and is enough to fix the equivalent of over seven million extra potholes nationally in 2025/26.

It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers in Buckinghamshire the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is around £500 on average a year, with more severe repairs costing considerably more.

According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers. The public is also being encouraged to report potholes in through a dedicated Gov.uk page: https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole.

To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the Government froze fuel duty at current levels for another year at the last budget, saving the average car driver £59.

Laura Kyrke-Smith, Member of Parliament for Aylesbury and the villages, said: “I am delighted that this Labour Government is doing things differently and taking swift action to fix our roads. Drivers have been plagued by potholes for too long, after 14 long years of Tory neglect. Under the Conservatives the situation spiralled out of control, with pothole damage costing drivers almost £500 million.”

”The impact of this funding will be transformative, with journeys in Aylesbury and the villages made safer, quicker and cheaper for drivers. This announcement goes well beyond the promises we made in our manifesto at the last election and shows that we’re serious about our Plan for Change, which will focus on investment and growth to put more money in people’s pockets and rebuilding Britain.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Potholes have plagued motorists for far too long, but this record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country’s roads.

“Too many drivers have to endure an obstacle course when on the roads – whether that’s to go to work, pick up children from school, or see friends. Potholes damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe. We are investing £1.6bn to fix up to seven million more potholes next year.

“This government is firmly on the side of drivers. Every area of England will get extra cash to tackle this problem once and for all. We have gone beyond our manifesto commitment to back motorists and help raise living standards in every part of the country.”